Wire-fence machine.



No. 788,305. PATENTED APR. 25, 1905.

J. M. DENNING.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29.1904.

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No. 788,305. PATENTED APR. 25, 1905.

J. M. DENNING.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29.1904.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.,

No. 788,305. PAIENTED APR. 25, 1905.

J. M. DENNING.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 29.1904.

6 BHEETSEKEIET 3.

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No. 788,305. PATENTED APR. 25, 1905.

J. M. DENNING.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 29. 1904.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

[220 6;? far No. 788,805. PATENTED APR. 25, 1905.

I J. M. DBNNING. WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29.1904.

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PATENTED APR. 25, 1905.

J. M. DENNING.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 3213. 29.1904.

Patented April 25, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH M. DENNING, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

WIRE-FENCE MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,305, dated April25, 1-905.

Application filed February 29, 1904. Serial No. 195,954.

To (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH M. DENNING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new. and useful Improvements in ire-Fence Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of wire fence with twistedcables or longitudinal strands and cross or stay wires connecting themat regular intervals, the stays being formed of pieces of wirecorresponding to the interspaces between the longitudinal wires andsuitably secured at the ends thereto.

The object of this invention is to produce a machine by which wire-fencematerial of the sort above described may be made rapidly andautomatically.

The full nature of the invention will appear from the description andclaims following, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is an elevationof the machine as seen from the back side. Fig. 2 is a plan view of thesame. Fig. 3 shows a fragment of the fence. Fig. 4 illustrates a camwhich actuates mechanism-connecting with the barbing apparatushereinafter to be described. Fig. a is a sectional view showing detailof the spool-shaft and itsconnections. Fig. 5 is a section of themachine in the main general plane a b, but with parts broken away andshowing parts in other planes. Fig. 6 is a front view showing a portionof the apparatus for attaching the stay-wires to the strandwires orcables and for twisting the latter. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectionalview showing mechanism for intermittently engaging and disengaging fromactuating the mechanism driving the coiling-spindles. Fig. 8 is alongitudinal section of said spindle. Fig. 9 is a cross-section of thecore thereof. is a stop-collar mounted on said spindle. Fig. 11 is aviewof the outer end of acoiler-head. Fig. 12 is a view of the inner side ofone of the stay-wire guides. Fig. 13 is a front elevation of the barbingmechanism and coiler parts, being mainly in section. Fig. 1 L is across-section of said coiler in the line 0 d.

Fig. 10'

Fig. 15 is a front view of a portion of the stay-wire-feed mechanism.Fig. 16 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 17 IS a front view of thebarbing mechanism in perspective.

In the type of machine herein illustrated the fence is made in verticalposition, as it stands when attached to fence-posts. The longitudinalstands are composed of a plurality (preferably two) of wires twisted toform cables. The cross-wires, commonly called stay-wires, are formed ofpieces of wire extending from cable to cable and secured at theintersections, as above mentioned. The machine is designed to performthis operation automatically, taking each stay-section from a separatecoil of wire and attaching them simultaneously. Provision is also madefor barbing the lower cable, and this with suitable modifications mightbe applied to other cables, if desired.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 is a rectangular frame supported onposts 2. An extension of this frame, 3, carries the spools 4: for onestrand of each cable. The other strand is brought direct from theoriginal coil. (Not shown.) For convenience the spooled strand maybedesignated by the reference-letter A,- the other strand by B, thestay-wires by the letter O, and the. barb by the letter D. Of these onlyone wire for each cable need be spooled. The others may all comedirectly from the main coil.

In suitable bearings at the top of the main frame is mounted thedriving-shaft 5, provided with pulleys 6. On the same shaft aresprockets 7, connecting by link belts 8 with 7 shafts being in directconnection with the main driving-shaft have a continuous rotation, andthus twist the two strands of the cable in the space between them andthe coilers,

It may be reto be described hereinafter.

marked here that the coilers are geared to untwist intermittently asfast as the spoolshafts twist. On the other side of the pulleys thedriving-shaft has a pinion 12, meshing with a large gear 13 on a shaft1&, mounted on top of the main frame. Adjacent to the large spur-gear isa mutilated bevel-gear 15, meshing intermittently with a bevel-pinion 16on a shaft 17. A pinion 18 at the other end of this shaft meshes with abevel-gear 19 on a vertical shaft 20, provided with feed-rolls 21. InFigs. 15 and 16 the companion rolls 22 are shown mounted in a yoke 23.This yoke is hinged at 24 to a part of the frame, so that the roll 22may be swung in and out of juxtaposition with the fixed roll on theshaft 20. The forked free end of the yoke straddles a link 25, pivotedat one end to a part of the frame and at the other end to a cam 26.Between the cam and the yoke is a stirrup-shaped spring 27, and by thismeans the rolls are made to pinch tightly on the wire running betweenthem. A pair of these rolls is provided for each stay-wire. Any pair ofrolls is quickly shifted from the operative position shown by turningback the cam and swinging the link and its connection out over theforked end of the yoke.

Toa wrist on the spur-gear 13 is coupled a long connecting-rod 28,engaging the lower end of the rack 29, mounted in suitable guides 30,Fig. 1. This rack is provided with a rib 31 adjacent to the teeth, andthe pinion 32 meshing with the rack has a groove 33 to take this rib.The clutch-faced end of the pinion 3 1 is adapted to engage asimilar-shaped clutch-collar 35, secured to the coiler-spindle 36. Therack is so mounted as to admit of its movinga limited distance sidewiseas well as endwise, and springs 37 are provided to press it inwardly, soas to throw the pinions into engagement by the clutch with saidspindles, it being understood that there is such a spindle for eachfence-cable, as indicated in Fig. 6. In the plate forming the rib 31 aretwo holes 38, and adjacent to the rib-plate on the frame is pivoted apair of shoes 39. In the drawings but the upper hole and shoe are shown;but it is to be understood that the construction is duplicated near thelower end of the rack, so that the latter is moved in and out parallelwith the adjacent partof the frame, simultaneously engaging anddisengaging the coilers. In Fig. 7 the section of rack is supposed to beon the upstroke. At the limit of this stroke the heel of the shoe dropsby gravity into the hole in the rib plate, and on the downstroke therack is of course forced outwardly, disengaging the clutches. On theupstroke the action is reversed, the clutches being all engaged by themovement of the rack through the action of the springs 37, as abovementioned. In practice the coilerspindles are given four revolutions,consuming practically all of the upstroke of the rack and half therevolution of the gear 13. Of this time two revolutions are required tocoil the stay-wire ends and the whole four to twist the strands of thecables. As before mentioned, this twist exactly untwists that formedfarther back by the continuous revolution of the spool-shafts.

The coiler-spindles are made tubular, as clearly shown in Fig. 8, and atthe rear ends have collars 40 with diagonal holes to take thestrand-wires. The purpose of the collars is to separate thestrand-wires, so that as twisted by the spool-shafts the twist is nottoo close to be untwisted by the coilers. At the other ends the coilersare provided with heads 41, having each a central hole 42 with lateralnotches 43, into which the strandwires may retreat as forced apart by aspreader 44:, mounted to slide endwise in the coilerspindles. Thespreader is moved back and forth by a pin 45, projecting through slots46 in the sides of the spindle-tube. The ends of the pin engage collars47,-attached to a vertical bar or plate 48, hung on parallel arms 19,attached to a vertical rock-shaft 50. To this shaft is secured anotherarm, 51, pivoted to a slidebar 52, mounted in a guide 53 and provided at.its free end with a roller 54 to engage a cam 55 on a vertical shaft56, driven by the shaft 14 through the medium of bevel-gears 57. Thedevice is moved in the opposite direction by a spring 58. The cam istimed to move the spreader toward the coiler-head while the coiler is atrest, so as to separate the strandwires for the free admission of thecrossing stay-wires fed between them during the same interval of time.As soon as such stay-wire feed is completed, however, the high point ofthe cam passes, and the Spreaders are moved back through the medium ofthe spring, as above mentioned, allowing the strand-wires to twist backof the connection with the staywires. The cam is similar to that shownin Fig. 10.

The stay-wires after leaving their feed-rolls pass through curved tubes59 across a die 60, where they are cut off at the proper time. From thispoint each wire passes through a hole in one side of the head 61, thencebetween a pair of guide-blocks 62, one of which, preferably the movableone, has a curved groove 63 therein. This directs the wire to the nexthead below, where it enters a channel 64, formed in the head oppositethe hole 61. The curved ends of the stay-wires therefore cross eachother between the strand of all the cables except the top and bottomones, where there is of course but a single end.

The stay-wires are cut ofi by cutters 65, attached to a bar 66, pivotedin a bracket 67 and moving between guides 68 near the top of themachine. 'The upper end of the bar has an arm 69, provided with a roller70 to engage a cam 71 on the shaft 14 and swing the bar inwardly tocut-off. The bar swings IIO respect to said bar.

the cables, usually the lowest on e.

back by gravity when the high point of the cam has passed the roller.The weight of the bar may be aided by a spring 72, as shown in Fig. 5.

()n the completion of the stay-wire-coiling operation the guides 62 opento allow the completed fence to move forward. To this .end the outer setof guide-blocks is connected to a bar 73 by stems 74, mounted to slidewith guide-blocks are springs 75, tending to press the guides inwardly,so that when all are drawn to the guiding position they make closecontact with their companion guide-blocks, but at the same time allowfor kinks or other obstructions to interpose without danger of at thetop only being shown) and is connected near the upper and lower endswith arms 77,

the free ends of which couple to levers 78, pivoted to fixed brackets 79. The free ends of the levers are provided with rollers to engage cams81, which are of the same type as that shown in Fig. 10. The bar ismovec outwardly by a spring 82.

The coilers are prevented from turning.

backwardly on the downstroke of the rack by pawls 83, engagingstop-collars 84. Provision is also made for preventing any prematureforward movement of the coilers. Stop-collars similar to the cam, Fig.10,- are attached to the coiler-spindles. Adjacent to' these are stops85, attached to a bar 86. This connects with slide-rods 87, running inguides 88 and 89. outwardly to the holding position. To move them in theopposite direction, the slide-rods are linked to levers 91, having eacha roller 92 at the free end to engage a cam 93. The cam is timed to movethe stops out of the arresting position during the normal movement ofthe coilers. sometimes desirable to barb one ormore of The mechanism forthis purpose is described as follows:

To the tubular coiler-spindle is attached ahollow cut-away head 94,large enough at the throat to allow the finished barb to pass throughand enlarging backwardly therefrom to give room for a pinion 95 near theend of the barb-coiling spindle 96 and allow one of the strand-wires topass between the pinion and said head. The outer end of the head, whichserves as one of the bearings for the spindle, has a suitable plate 97to coil the stay-wire. The end of the barbing-spindle has a stud 98 forcoiling the barb about the cable. Near the other end the spindle isprovided with a groove 99 and a hole 100 therein to take the nose of alatch 101, adapted to lock the spindle while the barb-wire is feedingand to hold the spindle endwise at other times. The latch is pivoted inlugs 102 and has a spring 103 to bring it to locking position.

Between the bar and the The bar is mountsition.

Springs 90 tend to force them.

In fence of this nature it is.

This'servesas a means for engaging and disengaging the barbing-spindleand the stay-wire coiler, so that a part of the time they may actindependently and a part of the time concurrently. Below the spindle across-head 104 is mounted to slide in guides 105, moved up and down bytoggle-levers 106, connecting by a rod 107 with a lever 108, actuated bya cam 109 at the lower end of the vertical shaft 56. The same cam alsoactuatcs another lever 110, connecting by a rod 111 with the pawl-arm112, by which intermittent movement is imparted to the barb-wire-feedrolls 113, mounted on the same cross-head. Pivoted to the cross .head isa finger 114, con-' trolled by a spring 115, to swing under the latch101, above described, and disengage it as the cross-head moves to itsuppermost po- In guides 116 at the top of the crosshead is mounted aslide 117, provided with a rack 118 to engage the pinion of thebarbing-spindle. Adjacent to the pinion is a shoulder 119 to engageplane faces of ribs 120 in line therewith at either terminus of therack.

By this means the spindle is brought posi- Near one side of the slide isa plate with a hole in it to allow the barb-wire to pass through in adiagonal direction, and in line with itis acutting-die 126, secured tothe slide. A cam 127, attached to the slide, serves to move the finger114 out of the path of the latch, so that when the stay-wire coilercomes into action after the barb is made the coiler and thebarbing-spindle may automatically interlock. The order in which theseoperationstake place is, as follows: During the interval of time inwhich the cross-head is elevated the barb-wire is fed forward. The slidethen moves forward and coils it about one of the strand-wires, cuttingit off near the end of its movement and in its course movingthefingerout of the path of the latch. The crosshead then descends and thecoiling mechanism coils the stay-Wire about the strand-wires and twiststhem, as heretofore described. The

completed fence-web passes now to the reel 128, which is driven by afriction-belt 128*, pulleys 129 and 130, link belt 131, and sprockets132 and 133 in a manner so simple as to require no description. To giveadditional friction as the roll of wire enlarges on the reel, an arm134'is pivoted to a bracket 135 and linked to a lever 136, carrying anidlerpulley 137 to engage the looser side of the friction-belt. Thefence is paid outintermit tently and in uniform spaces by a cylinder138, around which the web is trained. The cylinder is one of a pairgeared together and is driven by a ratchet and paw] 139, connecting byan arm 14:0 and rod 141 with a wrist 142 on the under side of the cam109.

The fence made by the machine above described is that shown in UnitedStates Patent No. 617,08 issued to me on the 8d day of January, 1899, towhich reference may be had, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a wire-fence machine, in combination with mechanism for attachingstay-wires to a plurality of strand-wires, a spool for one of thestrand-wires of each longitudinal cable, and an offset rotating shafttherefor holding the spool practically central to the axis of said shaftand adapted to rotate the spool about the other strand of the cable.

2. In a wire-fence machine, in combination with mechanism adapted toattach stay-wires to a series of longitudinal cables and for feeding thefinished fence forward intermittently, a twisting device for each cable,comprising a single spool of strand-wire and a rotating shaft on whichit is mounted to turn sidewise and around the other strand-wire.

3. Ina wire-fence machine, the combination with mechanism adapted toattach stay-wires to a series of longitudinal cables, and for feedingthe finished fence forward intermittently, twisting mechanism for thestrand-wires of the cables, comprising a single spool for each cable, ashaft on which it is mounted so as to rotate around the other strandsidewise, and bearings for thesories of spool-shafts arranged instaggered order, with means for rotating them.

4. In a wire-fence machine adapted to attach stay-wires to a pluralityof longitudinal cables each composed of a plurality of strandwires,spools for one strand of each cable, means for rotating themcontinuously to twist the wires together, and mechanism independentthereof adapted to intermittently fasten the stay-wires and twist thecables, untwisting thereby the twist made by the rotation of the spools.

5. In a Wire-fence machine adapted to attach stay-wires to a pluralityof twisted longitudinalcables and to feed the finished fence forwardintermittently, twisting mechanism for the cables, comprising a singlespool for each cable, a shaft on which it is mounted to rotate sidewise,and having enlarged bearings with holes therein for the strand-wiresexternal to the shafts.

6. In a fence-machine adapted to attach stay-wires to a series ofstrand-wires, and to feed the finished fence forward intermittently, aseries of coilers for attaching said stay-wires and for twisting thestrands of the longitudinal cables, pinions on said coilers adapted tomake a clutch connection therewith, a rack engaging said pinions, meansfor reciprocating said rack continuously, and mechanism adapted to shiftsaid rack and pinions sidewise during a part of its movement.

7. In a fence-machine adapted to attach stayewires to a seriespflongitudinal cables and to feed the finished fence forwardintermittently, coilers adapted to attach said staywires and twist thestrands of the cables, pinions on said coilers, engaging therewith byclutches, a rack engaging said pinions both to rotate them and to movethem sidewise, means for reciprocating said rack, springs to hold themsidewise in one direction and tilting shoes adapted to throw the rack inthe opposite direction during a part of its stroke.

8. The herein-described mechanism for intermittently rotating thecoilers of a fencemachine, comprising a clutch-collar on eachcoiler-spindle, a pinion loosely mounted adjacent thereto, having alateral clutch with a circumferential groove therein, a rack engagingsaid pinions, with an adjacent rib entering said clutch groove, guidesfor the rack, springs to hold it sidewise in one direction, shoesopposite thereto adapted to tilt and push the rack outwardly during apart of its stroke, depressions in the face of the rack next to saidshoes, and means for reciprocating the rack.

9. In afence-machine, the combination with a series of coilers adaptedto attach stay-wires to longitudinal cables, and to twist the cables,pinions on said coilers engaging therewith by a clutch connection, areciprocating rack to rotate the pinions in alternate directions, meansfor shifting the rack sidewise during a part of its stroke and fordisengaging the clutches, and a stop-collar and pawl for each coiler,adapted to prevent movement thereof during the back stroke of the rack.

10. In afence-machine having coilers adapted to attach stay-wires tolongitudinal cables and to twist the cables, the combination of pinionsengaging said coilers by a clutch connection, a reciprocating rackengaging said pinions, means for shifting it and the pinions sidewise todisengage the clutches, and mechanism adapted to lock said coilers fromturning in either direction until moved forward by said rack andpinions.

11. In a fence-machine adapted to attach stay-wires to a plurality oflongitudinal cables and to feed the fence intermittently forward, a gangof coilers adapted to attach the ends of stay-wires to the cables and totwist the latter, a spreader working inside each coiler, to separate thestrands and allow the stay-wires to feed between them, and means foradvancing said spreader for the feed,and retiring it after the feed iscompleted.

12. In combination with the stay-wire coiler ICC IIC

IZC

and twister of a fence-machine, substantially as described, a cable-wirespreader mounted to slide inside the coiler, and groove at the sides forthe passage of the strand-wires, studs projecting from said spreaderlaterally, slots in the walls of the coiler for said studs, and collarsembracing the coiler-spindle and connectin g with mechanism adapted tomove them endwise thereon.

13. A stay-wire coiler and cable-twisterfor a fence-machine, comprisinga tubular shaft or spindle, a coiler-head at one end, a collar at theother end with diagonal wireholes therein leading to the inside of thetube, a plunger mounted to slide inside said tube, and grooved at thesides for the passage of wires, and mechanism connecting with saidplunger adapted to advance it toward the head to separate the wires atthat point, and to retire it later to allow the wires to twist together.

14. A stay-wire coiler and cable-twister for fence-machines, comprisinga tubular shaft or spindle, a coiler-head at one end with a central holetherein and having lateral recesses therein to takethe strand-wiresasspread apart, a transverse hole to receive the stay-wire, a spreadermounted to slide endwise inside said spindle, and means for moving ittoward the head to separate the wires at that point and for retiring itto normal position.

15. In a fence-machine the combination of mechanism to attach stay-wiresto plural longitudinal cables and to feed the finished fence forwardintermittently, an independent barbing device, comprising a wire-feed, acut-off for the barb, a coiler to coil it on one of the cable-wires, andmeans for actuating the barbing mechanism intermittently, andindependent of the stay-wire-attaching mechanism.

16. In a fence-machine adapted to attach stay-wires to plurallongitudinal cables and to feed the finished fence forwardintermittently, a coiler adapted to secure the stay-wires to the cables,and twist the latter, a barbingspindle mounted inside the coiler, andadapted to rotate independently thereof, and mechanism adapted tosuccessively rotate the barbing-spindle and the coiler.

17. In a fence-machine adapted to attach stay-wires to plurallongitudinal cables and feed the finished fence forward intermittently,a coiler adapted to attach said stay-wires to said cables, and twist thelatter, a barbingspindle mounted to revolve inside the coiler, feedmechanism for the barb-wire, a cut-off therefor, and mechanism adaptedto first rotate the barbing-spindle to form the barb, and then rotatethe coiler.

18. In a fence-machine adapted to attach stay-wires to plurallongitudinal cables and to advance the finished fence intermittently, acoiler adapted to attach a stay-wire to one of said cables and to twistthe cable, a barbingspindle rotatably mounted therein, a latch to lockit to the coiler, and mechanism for feeding the wire to said spindle,cutting it ofli, and successively'rotating the barbing-spindle and thecoiler and spindle concurrently, and for engaging and disengaging thelatch.

19. In a fence-machine adapted to make fence having longitudinal twistedcablesand transverse stay-wires, the combination with a tubular coilerfor attaching said stay-wires, of a barbing-spindle rotatiyely mountedtherein, a pinion on said spindle, a reciprocating rack adapted toengage said spindle, and means for successively actuating said rack andr0- tating the coiler.

20. In a machine adapted to make wire fence having twisted longitudinalcable-strands and transverse stay-wires, the combination with a coilerfor attaching said stay-wires, of a harbing spindle rotatably mountedinside the coiler, a pinion on said spindle, a reciprocating rack toengage the pinion, a cross-head carrying said rack, and mechanismadapted to advance the cross-head to engage the rack and pinion, forreciprocating the rack, and for rotating the coiler.

21. In a fence-machine substantially as described, the combination of astay-wire coiler adapted to twist the strand-wire cables, abarbing-spindle mounted to rotate inside the coiler, a pinion on saidspindle, a flat-faced shoulder adjacent to the pinion, a rack adapted toengage the pinion and having terminal flat-faced ribs adjacent to itsends to engage the pinionshoulder, a cross-head carrying said rack, andmeans for advancing the cross-head, reciprocating the rack and rotatingthe coiler.

22. In a fence-machine, the combination of mechanism for, intermittentlyadvancing and twisting together in pairs a plurality of longitudinalcable-strands, mechanism for feeding, cutting off and attaching to saidcables separate pieces of stay-wire spanning the spaces between thecables, said pieces of wire being crossed between the strand-wires andthe crossed ends coiled about the strands.

23. In a fence-machine, the combination of mechanism for intermittentlyadvancing and twisting together pairs of longitudinal strandwires,mechanism for feeding between said strand-wires separate stay-wires, forcutting off said wires in lengths to span the spaces between thestrand-wires, for coiling the crossed ends about the strand-wires, andfor attaching barbs to one or more strands in the space between twostay-wires.

In-testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH M. DENNING;

Witnesses:

J. M. ST. JOHN, F. J. Kinsmen.

